Barakaldo

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Coat of arms

Location of Barakaldo in Biscay.

Barakaldo seen from the south.

Barakaldo (not to be confused with the Cuban and Guinean cities called Baracaldo), is an industrial river-port municipality in the Basque Country in Spain. It is located in the Biscay (Bizkaia) province, administratively included in the "Basque Autonomous Community", on the left bank of the Estuary of Bilbao. Barakaldo is part of Bilbao's metropolitan area (Greater Bilbao), and has 100,000 inhabitants. Its official population at the 2001 census was 94,478 inhabitants living on a land area of 29.39 km² (11.35 sq mi).

1 History
2 Transport
3 Fiesta
4 References
5 External links

Devil's Bridge over river Kadagua between Barakaldo and Bilbao

The 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica wrote of Barakaldo (spelling the name with the now-archaic "c"):

Pop.(1900): 15,013. Few Spanish towns have developed more rapidly than Baracaldo, which nearly doubled its population between 1880 and 1900. During this period many immigrant laborers settled here; for the iron works and dynamite factory of Baracaldo prospered greatly, owing to the increased output of the Biscayan mines, the extension of railways in the neighborhood,and the growth of shipping at Bilbao. The low flat countryround Baracaldo is covered with maize, pod fruit and vines.

Modern Barakaldo was later the endpoint of a mining railroad, since iron mining was a major economic activity of the region during part of the XIX and XX centuries. Steel industry, led by Altos Hornos de Vizcaya, had a very important presence during the 20th century, until the industrial recession hit hard the region's economy in the 1980s.

Barakaldo is going to close its last factory and is recovering from the recession, former industrial land is being rebuilt with residential buildings, parks and shopping malls. A big exhibition centre (BEC, Bilbao Exhibition Centre) has recently been built in the outskirts of the town.

Entrance to Bagatza Metro station

Barakaldo is linked to the rest of the metropolitan area by the line 2 of the underground which has four stations in the city and by the train. BizkaiBus company provides the bus service, with connections with the rest of Biscay.

Every July the town celebrates "Las Fiestas del Carmen", with open air concerts, fun fairs and a good deal of late night partying.